


Loyalty, With Love

by EspirituDelMar



Series: Overlord Stories & One-Shots [2]
Category: Overlord - Maruyama Kugane & Related Fandoms
Genre: Ainz Ooal Gown is Very Kind, Demainz (Demiurge/Ainz), Fluff, Loyalty, M/M, Now with alternate takes on this scene, Requited Love, Unrequited Love, a bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2018-09-21 08:28:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9539756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EspirituDelMar/pseuds/EspirituDelMar
Summary: Unrequited!Demiurge/Ainz (Demainz). It is known that every being in Nazarik loves their Creators, but there are different kinds of love. And one of the floor guardians has a type of love for his Master that no one suspects.Based ONLY on the anime, so it doesn't take into account character development done in the manga or light novels.Edit 15/7/2018: Now with alternate takes to this scene!:Chapter 2: Ainz is aware of the devil's feelings for him but does not return those feelings. Still, he's kind to the devil and tries not to hurt him too much.Chapter 3: Ainz returns those feelings but is unaware of the devil's feelings, so this would be another unrequited!demainz (though is actually mutual, not that neither of them would know that)Chapter 4: Requited Demainz! Confession and some fluff





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little one shot that occurred to me while watching Overlord. I fell in love with Demiurge's loyalty and concern for Ainz, and looked for some Demiurge/Ainz fics, but I found none (which I find it strange but oh well). So I'm making my own, even if it's unrequited love.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it, and please keep in mind that this is based in ONLY THE ANIME, taking place before Ainz decided to be an adventurer. I know Demiurge's character is developed more at the manga and light novels to present a cruel and sadistic man, but there is no hint of it in the anime, and thus I'm taking that version.
> 
> Btw, seeing as I'm the first one to think about this pairing, at least in this site and ff.net, I've decided to name it Demainz, though if you have a better suggestion please say so! And if you know of any fics with this pairing say so too, please :)
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy!

It wasn't widely known, but every single being in the Great Tomb of Nazarik loved their Creators, especially their benevolent Master Ainz Ooal Gown, the supreme being who stayed behind with them.

Now, that sentence's phrasing might confuse most. 'It wasn't widely known'? Of course it was! Their love and respect for their Master couldn't have been more obvious.

And not only did they feel love and respect for him. They felt complete and utter adoration and loyalty too, to the highest extremes. They would do anything their Master requested of them, sacrifice their own lives, commit the most heinous of crimes… their Lord just had to say the word and they'd do whatever he commanded.

Now you understand my strange phrasing at the beginning, as what it wasn't widely known was not the fact that everyone loved their Creator, but the type of love they felt towards him.

Some, like the majority of low-level NPCs, just felt the love that led to reverence towards those stronger than them. Others, like the majority of the floor guardians of Nazarik, felt the love a devotee bestows their God on the altar, the kind of love that led to devotion and unbreakable loyalty.

And a few felt all those plus a deep, romantic love that burned like the fires of Hell on their (hypothetical) souls.

The ones in the last category were obvious: Albedo, leader of the guardians, and Shalltear, guardian of levels one to three. Their love, bordering on obsession, often led to fights between them that the other guardians always had to stop.

If asked, all the guardians would say that both female's feelings were equally legit and that they didn't support one over the other.

One of them would be lying, though.

Coincidentally (or maybe not), this one was an unknown member of the last category, and had plans to remain that way, not wishing to cause any unnecessary conflict that would get him into pointless trouble in the long run with the two ladies.

Indeed, Demiurge was quite content with how he was right now and had no wish of having his feelings known. Not only because he was an insanely private man, or because he had a cold, rational, unfeeling image to maintain, but because his feelings were highly improper, bordering on blasphemous, and as such had no right to exist except on the deepest part of his (inexistent) heart. He would exterminate them if he could, but like the aftermentioned fires of Hell there was no squashing them. He could only maintain them as low level as possible and attempt to ignore them.

Which was hard to do, as sometimes the green-eyed monster known as 'jealousy' showed its ugly head inside him, especially whenever Albedo or Shalltear had a 'moment' with his Master. Thankfully, he was a master on concealing his emotions in the few occasions this happened.

It also helped that he considered Albedo the only one with the right to sport those feelings towards his Master, not that he would ever say it. Because wasn't Ainz-sama the one who changed the winged female's settings so she would love him? In his opinion that was a sign from their God about who his chosen wife would be, even if Ainz-sama sometimes didn't act like that. So he gave her tips about their Creators preferences, some of which he'd overheard and some of which he'd deduced himself, whenever he could and turned a blind eye whenever her expressing her love turned into something he could only qualify as 'disturbing'.

And that was it. He knew his feelings were never going anywhere, and so he never did anything about them. Sure, sometimes he slipped slightly, especially when his Master placed himself foolishly in danger, but no one had noticed. Well, maybe Cocytus, the general was surprisingly perceptive, but he never commented on it so everything was fine.

But that didn't mean that some nights, when no one was around, he didn't allow himself to dwell on his longing for a few minutes. In those unguarded periods of time he sneaked outside (he, of course, had his generals tighten the security on his floor) and sat to watch the stars. It was a pleasure he liked to indulge in now that there were real stars, as the ones on the fake sky of the sixth floor were rather lacking in comparison (with pardon to Blue Planet-sama, who created it).

He hated this pathetic, love-sick routine, but he had to admit to himself that after watching the stars for a few minutes he felt calmer and more rational towards his feelings. He could then tell himself that he was lucky, extremely so, because what he dared to desire, in the depths of his mind, from his Lord and Master wasn't sexual in nature. He just desired companionship, to always be beside him, and as long as he served him faithfully it seemed like he was going to get his wish.

(Of course he also wished for Ainz-sama to look at him with tenderness and respect, to say that he was the most loyal of all his servants and that he would be lost without him. He also longed to hear him praise him, wich disgusted the devil a little as this was too needy for his tastes, but he consoled himself with the fact that feelings were irrational and thus uncontrollable.)

But mainly that was his wish.

There was an unfortunate side-effect to those moments he allowed to himself though, and it was the clear, sharp reminder of what caused his feelings to spark into existence. Which he hated because it showed something about his character that he really didn't like (which, he reflected, he should because it was something his Creator, Ulbert Alain Odle-sama, must've coded into him and it was blasphemous to consider it 'ugly' like he did. That was the only reason he had been making an effort to accept said part).

What caused them were, plain and simple, his feelings of abandonment.

Which were as improper as his eventual feelings for his Master, as he had no right to feel abandoned. But there was no denying them, as there was no denying that their Masters all left them completely alone sometimes.

Yes, that was the reason he'd had oftentimes felt abandoned in the past. They had been created by their Masters for their entertainment, and to serve them. Their Masters were their only reason for living. But still, they all left them for what he'd heard them call their 'real life', sometimes for days or even weeks. On those periods of time, he felt like he had no purpose. Because what use were you when those you've been created to serve weren't there for you do exactly that?

It didn't matter that they were Divine Beings and that it was their right to leave whenever they pleased, to do whatever they pleased, he still felt like that. Alone on his floor, he used to wish for some foolish adventurers to attack the Tomb, and for them to be strong enough to reach his level, just so he could feel fulfilled by fulfilling another reason of his existence: protecting his Masters's guild.

The funny thing was, he wasn't the only one who felt like that. Whenever their Masters left them for more than a day, there was this aura of depression in the air that was extremely noticeable. And when more than a week passed, it was so thick he could taste it.

Still, he seemed to be the one most affected by their absence. It felt like a physical ache in his chest, and even though he was still as efficient and logical as he was when they were there (home) he knew he acted a bit more cold, a bit more detached than normal. Again, this seemed to have passed unnoticed by all except for the good general, who again didn't comment on it.

In sum, the feeling was extremely unpleasant and he always dreaded the inevitable moment when it'd return to his chest. So when he'd heard that it was the last day and that the server would shut down at midnight, thus letting them alone again, this time forever, he hid on his floor and refused to leave, not wanting to see his Masters leave one by one.

He didn't know what would happen when the server shut down. Maybe they would cease to exist, which was what he was hoping it happened, as he then wouldn't have to feel anything, much less the cutting sensation of rage, pain and betrayal he was feeling then.

 _'Bastards'_ He'd hissed, not caring if it was blasphemous or an unforgivable sin or whatever at the moment _'We've all served you loyally, doing whatever you ordered us to do, giving you our complete faith and devotion, and this is how you repay us? By discarding us as if we were mere objects without any importance? Did our services mean that little to you?'_

Then the rage turned into despair _'What did we do wrong? Did we displease you somehow? Did_ I _displease you? Are you disappointed on us, on me? Why are you abandoning us without saying even a word of goodbye? Or at least informing us that our services were acceptable? What did we do to deserve this?'_

And finally, the despair turned into resignation and acceptance _'Please forgive me for my words, even though I'm not worthy of forgiveness after my shameful behavior. You are our Gods, our Masters, and we are but lowly servants who have no right to criticize you. If this is how you wish to go, how you wish to treat us, then we can't do anything but accept it and be glad we'd had the opportunity to serve you in any way, and to thank you for creating us'_

After that he'd glumly waited for midnight, dreading whatever would happen and hoping they would just fade into inexistence. But when the clock stroke midnight and he was still there, he realized his wish was not to be.

 _'So this is to be our fate'_ He'd thought _'To slowly succumb to the hell that is purposelessness and loss'_

He'd stayed still, his hand hiding his face while he tried to control himself, reminding himself that he was second in command and as such he had a duty to maintain the rest of the guardians and NPCs for as long as he could. A duty that he would be doing when he gained some modicum of control over himself.

But just when he'd managed to wrestle his emotions into a semblance of control, it was destroyed again as he received Albedo's message.

Momonga-sama wanted him to reunite with his fellow guardians on the sixth floor.

At first he was confused. Momonga-sama? Shouldn't he be in his 'real life' right now? He then looked at the clock and saw that yes, it was past midnight, he hadn't hallucinated anything. Then the implications of that sunk on him and he broke.

Momonga-sama hadn't left them. Momonga-sama had _stayed_.

It was as if a dawn had broken as tears of relief fell from his jewelled eyes. The hopeless future he'd imagined had disappeared, and now he had a Master to serve, maybe forever as he was an undead and thus, immortal.

Momonga-sama was kind, so kind and merciful to not abandon them. In that moment he'd vowed to serve him with all the loyalty and devotion he possessed, to not let any harm touch his Master and to do everything in his power to prevent him from deciding to leave.

Composing himself had been hard after, but he'd managed it by the time Albedo came for him.

That moment of fierce decision had started all. The moment when his Master, Momonga-sama, answered their vow of loyalty, as none of the others had, cemented it. He'd been serious after, when he'd suggested Momonga-sama having children, as the vision was equally pleasant to him as it had been to Cocytus. He had been fully in control by then, and even though he intended to respect his vow, he was clear-minded enough to see that Momonga-sama could very well decide to leave them if he wanted, so having a little Master or Mistress to serve was a nice prospect.

But he hadn't realized what that implied, along with his feelings, until he'd felt that fierce flame in his chest that same night. The night he'd caught his Master wanting to go out without an escort and had accompanied him as he surveyed the starred night and the strange world in front of him.

"I believe this world shines so that my Lord can adorn himself with it riches" He had said.

"That might be true" His Lord laughed "I may have come to this land to obtain this box of treasures" He then proceeded to muse that maybe the riches weren't for himself but for Nazarick and his friends.

 _'My Master is perfect'_ Demiurge thought _'Wanting to honor our other Masters by taking the riches for them instead of for just himself'_

"If you will it" He couldn't stop himself from answering "The entire of Nazarick would come together to obtain that jewel box for you"

"At this point, when we don't know what exists out there?" His Lord answered back.

Then, he added the words that lighted up that fire on his chest.

"But, well, taking over the world might be enjoyable"

He gasped. Such fierce ambition, he couldn't help but admire it while the flame in his chest warmed him from inside out. If there had been any doubt of him being a worthy Master to serve, not that there had been any, this would've erased them all.

After getting back to his floor and dissecting all those emotions he'd felt in that moment, along with the slight hurt when Momonga-sama had dismissively told him that 'I'll give you your ring later', he finally managed to put a name to them.

Love.

He had again frozen there, his hand hiding his face as he tried to process the new emotion. He was cold and calculating. He had no heart. How could he feel what he felt?

 _'Momonga-sama truly is miraculous'_ He had finally accepted with a sigh of resignation.

And like that he had stayed until this day. And like that, he mused as he made his way towards the room where Ainz-sama was, he would stay in many more days to come, or so he suspected.

When he finally reached the door he shook those thoughts out of his mind and knocked. His Master had sent him on another reconnaissance mission and now he had to present his report. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted.

He heard his Master's voice ordering him to enter and he did so, bowing respectfully at him before making his report, ignoring the warmth on his chest that always appeared when he was alone with his Master and being useful to him.

"Thank you Demiurge," His lord said. Taking it as the dismissal it was, Demiurge turned around and made for the door.

"Demiurge"

The devil paused and turned around, looking at his Master.

"Good job"

Demiurge gaped at him for a second before bowing deeply at him, saying "I do not deserve such kind words, Ainz-sama."

"You and everyone are working hard to protect Nazarick" His Lord pointed out "Do not think I didn't notice your efforts"

Those words made Demiurge want to kneel, and so he did, right where he was.

"We are your servants, Ainz-sama. Command us and we'll respond with all we have"

"It is appreciated, do not doubt it for a second. Especially yours"

Demiurge had to raise his head at that, startled, while trying not to gasp as the warmth in his chest increased.

"Master?" He managed.

"You are the fastest and most discreet guardian I have" His Lord explained "As such, I have been sending you all over this strange world for reconnaissance, and I'm afraid I might be using you too much"

"I'd go a hundred days without rest if that is what you require of me," Demiurge said fervently.

"That may be so" His master chuckled "But you are of no use to me dead on your feet. I need you in top condition. And to do so, I want you to try and rest the rest of the week"

"Master, I don't need to-"

"I insist. I can't afford to prescind of you, Demiurge. You are important for what is to come"

Demiurge couldn't talk, could move, so deeply humbled and moved he was at his Master's words, his chest burning. He knew that his Master only wanted him in top shape so he could serve him at the best of his capabilities, but hearing him say that he was important, that he cared, was too much.

"Demiurge?"

At his voice, Demiurge realized that he had been staring dumbly at his Master while still kneeling, and so he stood up with an embarrassed cough.

"I shall endeavor to do as you say, Master"  
And with that he bowed deeply again and left, feeling half in daze from his Master's words.

When he reached his floor he sat on the closest chair, still processing. After a few minutes, he smiled.

Maybe his feelings wouldn't go anywhere, but he was right where he wanted and had just heard the words he'd longed to hear from his Master.

Yes, Demiurge was quite content with how he was right now, and he wouldn't change a thing. Not for anything.


	2. Kindness is a good balm for unrequited love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ainz is aware of the devil's feelings for him but does not return those feelings. Still, he's kind to the devil and tries not to hurt him too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it's been a long time since I last revisited this story.  
> In ff.net, I gave several options for follow-ups to this story, which are those stated in the summary. I thought I did that too here, but it seems not... oh well. Anyway, when I revisited the story and saw so many reviews in ff asking for some of the options, the plotbunny monster for this fandom attacked me lol. So I'm going to write them.  
> Hope you enjoy them!

_Those eyes..._

Ainz watched as the devil left the room, and let out a sigh when the door closed.

He had to admit to himself that he wasn't an especially perceptive person, but even he wasn't dense enough to not notice that certain light that appeared on Demiurge's eyes when they were alone.

He sincerely didn't know how that happened. He was a skeleton, for god's sake! Albedo, he could understand because he'd changed her bio, and Shalltear had a necrophilia fetish programmed into her, but Demiurge? He was sure that Ulbert Alain Odle wasn't that kind of person, so how on earth...?

Wait. They had been transported to another world, where the NPCs are suddenly alive. Could it be that now that they weren't in a game, now that they weren't directed by their programs, the NPCs had turned into living beings with the ability to grow and develop? Could it be that now they could behave in ways that went against their programming?

Ainz hadn't been completely sure of their loyalty since the start, but now he was even less. If they could change, that meant their loyalty could change too.

If that was true, then Ainz had to _gain_ their loyalty. Which meant behaving as a leader worthy of their loyalty, giving them rewards for jobs well done, time to rest and days off... he couldn't treat them like living robots. They had needs, and if he wanted to be a leader they were eager to follow, he needed to meet them.

Though, thinking about their ability to grow, how much could they change? As they were now, they were just following his orders blindly. Could he teach them to think for themselves? To not follow the letter of his orders, but the spirit of them? Ainz wasn't infallible after all, and if he had to word his orders so they were perfect and without any mistakes...

This called for an experiment. Ainz recalled the reports about a tribe of lizard-like creatures living nearby. What if he sent Cocytus with some low-level troops to 'destroy them'? That way, he could observe and see how he thought, how he managed his troops, and if he was capable of deviating from his orders in order to fulfill them.

Hmm, the idea had merit...

But he was getting off track.

Demiurge.

What could he do about his feelings?

Ainz was completely heterosexual. He liked women, period. And even if it wasn't like that, Demiurge was like his friend's child. He would feel really weird being in a relationship with him. Not to talk about his, ahem, lack of equipment.

And then there was Albedo. He had forced her to love him, so it would be too cruel to suddenly have a relationship with another Guardian.

Anyway, the bottom line was that he didn't return the devil's feelings.

But still, love was something that couldn't be controlled in real life, so those feelings weren't exactly Demiurge's fault.

Ainz's inexistent stomach churned in anxiety. Because he was his precious friend's child, and he was starting to see every NPC as his own children, he couldn't bear to hurt him in any way. He just couldn't. So rejecting him directly wasn't something he could do. And besides, he had never needed to reject anyone, so what if he was too cruel and did it badly? No, he couldn't take that risk.

He would show his appreciation and paternal feelings through his actions instead.

He had been observing the devil since the day he realized his feelings for him were more than those of a loyal Guardian. As such, he knew that the moments when he was feeling the happiest were when he was being useful.

Ainz cringed a bit at that slavish mentality, but until he could change it he had to work with it. As such, the way to make him happy was to use him. Which didn't present a problem, because with his staggering intelligence and ability to fly, Demiurge was the most useful Guardian he had.

Ainz also thought about some objects made by Ulbert Alain Odle. He could gift them to the devil as rewards...

He would also start to drop in his speeches mentions about how he appreciated their efforts, and how themselves being the precious children of his friends they were _all_ his treasures...

In sum, he wanted to convey the message of “I appreciate you and want you to be happy, but I don't think about you that way”

With his intelligence, he hoped Demiurge caught it. He didn't know what else to do.

* * *

 Demiurge did catch it.

And was moved by his Master's kindness.

When he had first realized that his Master's odd behavior lately was intended as a response to his feelings, meaning he had noticed them, Demiurge had panicked slightly. He irrationally felt that he would be punished for daring to have such feelings, and such had been slightly colder and formal with his Master.

But then he caught his Master's real intention.

Of all the ways Ainz-sama could have handled him, he chose to make him feel appreciated and needed. He chose to show him that he was loved, just not in the way he hoped.

This was an unexpected balm for the fire that was his love for his Master. And needless to say, this kindness only made his loyalty stats skyrocket.

He would serve him even more faithfully, to show his thanks for his kindness.

When one day Ainz-sama nodded at him at the end of a meeting, Demiurge knew that his message was received and appreciated.

Demiurge smiled.

Yes, he could definitely be happy with this.


	3. Unethical Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ainz returns Demiurge's feelings but is unaware of the devil's feelings, so this would be another unrequited!demainz (though is actually mutual, not that neither of them would know that)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this turned out different from what I imagined, more angsty. Even so, I hope you enjoy it!

_I am too old for this..._

Suzuki Satoru, now known as Ainz Ooal Gown, sighed as he watched a certain devil exit his office.

He didn't know how it happened. He truly didn't. Sure, he felt respect towards him for his amazing intelligence, and love as his friend's creation, but...

How did all that evolve into this?

Ainz sighed again.

_ Okay Suzuki Satoru, calm down. The first step to get over something is to acknowledge it. So be a man and do so, even if it's to yourself. _

The problem was a complicated one. To put it plainly, the Supreme Overlord and King of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarik was in- ahem. Had a... crush.

_Yes, that's the word, I  do not feel anything stronger and am certainly not in denial. Not me. Nope. Not possible._

The image of a certain person kneeling before him, looking at him with those shining eyes appeared on his mind, and a wave of emotion traveled through him until his emotional suppression kicked in.

_...dammit. _

If it wasn't because of the Eight Edge Assassins that never left him, he would have banged his head against his desk.

His frustration exceeded the predetermined threshold, and he was forcibly calmed again. His head clear now, he took a deep breath of air and tried again.

He was in love with Demiurge.

There. Admitted.

...he was so glad to not have a human face, because it would surely be bright red right now. And it took all of his composure to not let out a groan.

Again, how? He was sure that he was strictly heterosexual. He had never looked at men this way before. So the fact that he was having a sexuality crisis _now,_  of all times...

Could it be because of his new body? He had already noticed changes within himself, like his increasing indifference towards humans. Maybe because his character was defined by 'extreme evil', he was attracted to evil? But then, most NPCs here were in that category and he didn't feel anything special towards them... No, no matter how much he forced himself, he just didn't feel attracted.

This was troublesome. If it was just lust, which wouldn't be unwarranted because he had caught Demiurge shirtless once and he was very well built, he was sure he could deal with it. But as an undead, he couldn't feel lust. Not that he could anything about it even if he could, with his... lack of equipment, but still. Simple lust would be manageable.

But Suzuki Satoru had never been in a relationship. Had never been in love with another person. So to say that these feelings caught him by surprise would be an understatement.

And he didn't know what to do about them.

If only his old comrades were here... He tried to imagine what they would tell him

_Dress cool and be forward~_ ( Bukubukuchagama)

_Take him out on a date, be romantic, conquer him!_ (Touch Me)

_Just get him in bed and don't trouble yourself with anything else!_ ( Peroroncino)

_Grow some balls and tell him directly_ ( Ulbert Alain Odle-)

Wait.

Ulbert-san.

God, how could he look at him in the eyes if he ever saw him again?

Ainz closed his eyes (noticeable only because the burning dots that usually shone in his eye sockets disappeared).

No, he was being selfish and too self-centered. He was pondering this from the wrong angle.

The fact was that everyone in Nazarik saw him as some kind of deity they all worshipped with all they were. A mistake, no matter how small, was viewed as a sin.

Ainz couldn't say anything, because for Demiurge a confession like that could only have one answer.

'Do as you wish with me, Ainz-sama. As someone who serves you, my whole body and soul belongs to you to do as you please'.

Or something like that. Plainly put, he would never be sure if the devil truly returned his feelings or if he did so out of some kind of perceived obligation towards his 'God'.

Having reached that conclusion, Ainz's non-existent heart gave a painful lurch. The normal feeling of being alone that was always present increased tenfold.

If he were human, he would've wept. It was just so... So unfair!

Was he destined to be alone forever?

His emotional suppression kicked in and he returned to cool calmness. No, he couldn't think like that. Doing so was a disservice to everyone in Nazarik, who have turned into Ainz's family, or at least that's how he saw it. Demiurge was part of it. So what if he wanted there to be a deeper companionship between them? He should just be grateful that Demiurge had some kind of affection for him, even if it was the same a devotee had for their God.

Decision reached Ainz, remorsely but firmly, closed that door in his heart and reached for the documents he should be working on. Everyone was working hard for Nazarik, so he also had to do his best.

It's not as if Demiurge would ever feel anything like that for him, anyway.

* * *

 

Demiurge, lying on his bed, was assaulted by a heavy, uneasy feeling in his heart so suddenly that he sat up panting. It felt as if an opportunity that would have brought him endless joy had suddenly vanished, leaving an emptiness on its place.

He laid back, frowning. What a weird feeling.

He dismissed it without a thought, not knowing what he was losing.

Ignorance was truly a bliss, in this case.


	4. Love, With Loyalty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requited!Demainz at last!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's the last chapter! With requited!Demainz as promised ;)  
> I apologize for the delay, but this was so hard to write! How do you write a love confession between a sadistic devil and his undead Master while keeping them in character?  
> This is the way I used. I hope I managed to keep them close to their canon characterization, and if I didn't I'm sorry. I tried.
> 
> This is especially dedicated to RedWolfsHowl, who commented back when 'Loyalty, With Love' was just a one-shot that they wanted a story ' where Demiurge and Ainz are actually together and the story isn't stupid'. Hope I delivered!

Calm. Cool. Collected. Serene. And very kind to those that belonged to Nazarik.

Those were the characteristics that described Demiurge to a tee. Of course, there were more: sadistic, cruel, enjoys seeing the despair in his victim's eyes... But those were the sides of himself that he showed to those outside Nazarik, and it was a particular rule of his to not show it to his comrades or Supreme Rulers unless it was requested of him, considering it too 'unprofessional'. Even if they all already knew about that side of his.

But this... This could be considered _the_ exception to that particular rule.

Demiurge grinned savagely as he used his claws to rip one of his foes in half, it widening in delight when the blood splattered all over him. Had this been any other fight he would have taken care to not stain the suit his Creator, Ulbert Alain Odle, had given him.

But as he retreated and felt himself pressing back-to-back with another one, and glanced at this person briefly before returning his gaze to the battlefield, the emotions he was feeling made his teeth sharpen. This was shown to his victims, making most of them stumble back in fear, in that sadistic grin he'd been sporting since he was given _that_ order.

_Fight with me, Demiurge._

The foe was too strong for minions, but not too strong for the two of them. Still, they were many which was why Ainz-sama had given that order, to his delight. He normally preferred emotional torture to the messier, physical one but...

Fighting alongside Ainz-sama. Feeling and seeing his power from a front-row seat, defending him when needed, coordinating his movements with his Master's... it was _intoxicating._

_Ahh, my blood is boiling. And those lovely screams these insects make when I kill them makes the sensation stronger._

Now, no matter what his preferences may be, Demiurge was still a demon. He liked his usual work of strategist and information gatherer, and he may prefer to hurt with words rather than actions, but at his core, he just _loved it_ when he was required to cause chaos and death, when he could let his bloodlust out to be sated... like in this fight. If it wasn't because those insects dared to attack Ainz-sama he would have thanked them from the bottom of his heart for this opportunity to fight side-to-side with his beloved Master.

Demiurge used flames to roast another cockroach (only one of them, he could just use an ability to end up everyone in a millisecond but it wouldn't do to end the fun too soon) and blocked a blast of holy magic directed towards his Master's back with his claws (weak, so weak he didn't even feel it). His eyes then shifted to the fool that dared to attack a Supreme Being from behind, and blazed.

He had his next target.

* * *

Everything started when Ainz decided to take a break from the paperwork. A much needed one, at that, because his day until then was horrible: Albedo having a 'super yandere' attack in the morning, meeting after meeting with several representatives of all sectors of the economy...

And as if that wasn't bad enough, there was the paperwork. He was _drowning_ in it. He'd been at it for five hours without rest, and the stack in his desk seemed to increase instead of decrease.

_I knew becoming a king would be administrative hell, but it seems I underestimated how bad it would be._

He needed to get out, get some fresh air. Without his usual guards, preferably, which was why he gave the excuse of 'needing to check Demiurge's progress in his mission'. This not only gave him a good excuse to step out, but because a Guardian would be there he could dismiss his bodyguards. And it wasn't like it was a lie, anyway, as he had been meaning to do so for some time now. Not because he didn't trust Demiurge or his reports, of course, but because he always liked to asses a situation in person whenever possible.

Stepping through the [Gate] he was greeted by a surprised Demiurge, and he quickly stated the reason for his visit to assuage the slight anxiety he detected when the devil asked him if there was something that had displeased him from his reports.

“Ah, I see. Then, will it be okay to talk inside the base?” Ainz agreed, and they began to walk towards Demiurge's base (a wooden cabin located in the forest near the Holy Kingdom, where Demiurge was tasked to gather information and prepare everything for Jaldabaoth's arrival) but before they could step in, both of them sensed the the presence of quite a large number of intruders, though they feigned they hadn't. The intruders were also stronger than any other being they've encountered in this world, but still weaklings when compared to any of them.

“Ah, I see. So this was the real motive. As expected of Ainz-sama”

Ainz felt confused for a few seconds before he realized why Demiurge had said that. And he wanted to shout that no, the fact that his base was about to be attacked was just a coincidence, but instead, he remained calm.

“Who would you like me to contact in Nazarik in order to capture this fools?” Demiurge continued, assuming that their strength made them interesting enough for capture. If they didn't have worthy information, they would at least be useful for experiments; they'd surely last longer than the other specimens.

Ainz also thought of that, but instead of ordering Demiurge to contact the Pleiades or Eight Edge Assassins he signaled Demiurge to wait as he thought.

Truth was, Ainz was stressed. The managing of a kingdom, the plans for world domination, the act he constantly had to put in order to appear as the Ainz Ooal Gown everyone expected... it took its toll on him. As an undead, he didn't feel physical exhaustion, but he could still feel it mentally. And without the ability to sleep to relieve his poor mind, the result was a constant feeling of stress.

He tried to take some time off, bathing or doing other activities, in order to relieve it. But he had found there was a quicker and more efficient way to do it, completely by accident.

Maybe it was because he was undead, but that super-tier spell he cast at the Katze Plains felt like a release for all his stress. Killing all those humans, watching those cute lambs destroy even more... it felt as relaxing as taking a slime bath. This made Ainz fear that he was becoming someone who liked killing, but he had comforted himself that time by saying that it had been a necessity. It may relax him, but he only killed when he had something to gain from it, or when it was practical.

But right now, he wanted to battle the intruders simply to relieve some of his stress.

_No, I must have more self-control than that. Still... let's see. They must be at least a hundred. While capturing them makes sense, not all of them will be useful. So just as long as we take care of letting the important ones alive, the rest shouldn't matter, right?_

It was a practical reason. A hundred prisoners were too much, so unless he wanted to gift some of them to his more sadistic NPCs to have some fun he would have to weed out the most interesting ones and dispose of the rest. Also, Ainz could feel the hostility coming from the soon-to-be-corpses. They would be the ones attacking them; Ainz didn't make the first move, and he had a feeling that negotiating with them would just be a waste of air. So from that point of view, they were just defending themselves. That would justify the battle, wouldn't it?

"Hmm, I have another idea. Say, Demiurge" Ainz said in a casual tone, his decision made "You must have been very bored lately, haven't you? While you exceed in these kinds of missions, they are more tedious than anything. I apologize for that."

"Ah, do not worry about that, Ainz-sama" Demiurge hastened to say, confused about his Master's reasons in saying that but following his lead anyway "Serving you is a pleasure, and definitely something I will never get bored of doing"

"Still, this can't be very entertaining for you. At home you had your, ah, hobbies to amuse you, and during the Re-Estize business you were at least taking action and letting go slightly. But this period of inactiveness and information gathering must have you pretty bored, doesn't it?"

Demiurge was still confused, but he replied cautiously, "Well, you are certainly not wrong in that, Ainz-sama." And he wasn't. While he knew that collecting information about the Holy Kingdom to know how to best use Jaldabaoth against them was important, it was a lengthy process that was both easy and tedious. And as his Master had correctly deduced, he missed his workshop in Nazarik and longed for this waiting period to end.

"Hmm, thank you for speaking honestly. Then, how would you like to cut loose, even if it's just a little bit?"

A bolt of electricity traveled through the Devil's spine when he finally got what his Master was offering, and he unconsciously straightened while his usual serene smile widened slightly in eagerness.

"Would that really be okay?"

"Of course. To be honest, I'm quite frustrated right now and feel like exercising a bit. We will capture a few for questioning, obviously, so we can't really get lost in the exercise in order to locate the interesting ones... But as for the rest, why not?" He made a gesture towards the place the intruders were, big enough for Demiurge to see but not for their prey to realize they've been spotted "Well, what do you say? Up for it?"

"A bit of exercise sounds marvelous, if I may be honest."

"Umu. [Glass Cage]" Casted Ainz, making a transparent wall made of glass surround the area, trapping the two wolves with the sheep that were now aware of the situation "Then fight with me, Demiurge" He ordered.

"Ainz-sama, it will be a pleasure to obey."

And so the slaughter started. Unconscious bodies mixed with dead ones, and when all the interesting ones were put to sleep (with more or less violence, depending on how feisty they had been) Demiurge finally took Ainz's permission and let himself loose, slightly so he didn't kill everyone immediately and spoil his Master's exercise.

They made a marvelous team vicious and efficient, one protecting the other when particularly effective magic was directed at one of them.

And in a moment when Ainz took a slight breather to watch Demiurge fight, even though he was undead and thus didn't breathe, he felt his breath catch.

Majestic. That was how the devil looked, surrounded by blood and fire, a savage grin on his usually calm face, his tail lashing at the enemies that approached from behind while his claws and flames decimated the rest. Watching him fight was like poetry in motion, every move calculated to deal with the enemy in the most effective and vicious way.

Ainz knew for sure that if he were human, this sight would have instantly made him hard, no matter how twisted it sounded.

He continued to watch Demiurge fight as thoughts he'd had for a long time resurfaced in his mind.

He didn't know when these… _affections_ … for the Guardian of the seventh floor started. He just knew that with his title of 'Sorcerer King' came many responsibilities and he often found himself planning and organizing this with Albedo and Demiurge. But since he gave Albedo permission to create her 'dream team' it tended to just be Demiurge and himself most days, occasions in which most often than not found Ainz and Demiurge talking about more things than the predetermined topics.

Bluntly put, the both of them took the opportunity to get to know the other better. Ainz, to see how he evolved from Ulbert's settings, and Demiurge so he could serve his Master better. But their chats had a small side effect: they became a bit more... relaxed with each other.

It wasn't obvious, and Demiurge didn't let himself show anything when it was a serious occasion or when surrounded by the other Guardians. But when it was the two of them, Demiurge made gestures or said things that he wouldn't have said or done before. Nothing too obvious or relaxed, he still wanted to pay his Master the respect he deserved, but still something Ainz noticed and was grateful for.

Maybe that was when it started. Maybe it was when Ainz caught glances of the kindness Demiurge showed to those belonging to Nazarik. Or the fact that he admired his amazing intelligence, something he could only wish to have.

Or perhaps, it was that now that he was his game avatar his sexuality had changed. He had previously been strictly heterosexual, but now that he was a character defined by 'extreme evil' and a very low sense of justice, he may be attracted to evilness. It may be the reason he didn't mind Shalltear or Demiurge's cruelness, or why he admired the latter's a little.

It didn't matter, in the end. These feelings simmered inside him, never reaching the peak that would forcibly smooth them to a lower level, and he couldn't seem to get rid of them. He didn't know how he was ever going to look at Ulbert-san in the eyes...

Not that he would ever say anything, though. Not first, not when doing so was akin to ordering him to feel the same, or at least that's how he would see it. Now, if the devil said something first though...

“Ainz-sama?” The rough, nearly demonic voice of Demiurge snapped Ainz out of his thoughts in time to see a single man, dressed as a ninja, run and disappear through the trees in front of him.

“Ah, I apologize for getting caught in my thoughts. I see you took care of everyone”

“Yes- ah, I apologize for not leaving anyone for you Ainz-sama!” Demiurge, who at first was calm and a little concerned, suddenly exclaimed.

“It's fine. Frankly, watching you fight is a pleasure, so I don't mind it.” Ainz said, noticing how the devil's spiked tail lashed suddenly and wildly at the praise. Ainz chuckled slightly, finding the uncharacteristically open and savage state the devil was in almost... cute.

_Better not let him know I find him cute, ever. He might just kill me for it. Still, it's another proof for the 'I'm attracted to evil' theory..._

He should have felt unnerved about this discovery, but he found he couldn't care less.

_There's still at least one left... let's enjoy this for now and leave thinking about the impossible possibility of Demiurge feeling something similar for later._

* * *

"Still, it seems there's one little rat left, and in hiding" Demiurge informed his Master. He knew his voice was rough in a mix of his normal voice and his demonic one. It had been so long since he'd been permitted to slaughter like that that he his emotions had gotten a little carried away, and he was now a bit drunk on battle and bloodlust. A state that was augmented by the praise his Ruler had given him.

"Indeed" Ainz agreed, and even though he didn't have any lips Demiurge could feel the savage grin that matched his on his voice "Thank you for going along my selfish idea"

"It has been my pleasure, Ainz-sama!" Demiurge laughed "And no order of yours will be considered selfish by any resident of Nazarik, much less myself, but a privilege you are giving us by giving us a chance to obey! Why, just give the word and I will personally ensure that this world will burn to ashes just for you!" A [Fireball] flew in the direction of their missing rat to illustrate the point.

"Is that so? I'm pleased with your loyalty," Ainz shot while running after the fleeing ninja that had managed to dodge the ball of fire.

"Loyalty? What I feel goes further than that!" Cackled Demiurge as he followed after his Master, dodging the feeble attacks and traps the human was hurling as he ran, his bloodlust and excitement making his words as honest as they could be "My body, my soul... Even my whole heart belongs to you, Ainz-sama! Yours to do as you please with!"

The Overlord's steps faltered slightly at this, as if surprised­ ―

* * *

_It should be impossible! But that sounds... do I dare to hope...?_

* * *

― but not enough to impede him reaching the human first, and as he used his magic to make the screaming man float in the air he asked, "Your heart? You make it sound as if..."

"Exactly, Ainz-sama! As expected of you, you divine my feelings easily!" Demiurge exclaimed and he used his spiked tail to open the man in half, thus finally ending the hunt "Indeed, this servant loves you with the whole of his being!" He continued, facing his Master and kneeling at his feet with a fiercely worshipful expression "That is why I beg of you to permit me to serve you forever, in any way you deem me worthy of!" He then lowered his head and silence fell over them, only interrupted by the slight pants of Demiurge's prostrated and slightly trembling body.

* * *

_It seems I can dare to hope!_

_...gah, damn that emotional override. Still, now that I'm calm I can see it's strange for Demiurge to be this open, no matter how much he's affected by bloodlust... but what could be the reason for it-_

_Ah. I see._

_I almost don't want to do it... I almost want to take advantage. But I couldn't do that to someone I care about._

_I knew this was too good to be true._

* * *

At least, until Ainz spoke.

"[Emotional Balance]"

It was as if a jar of cold water had been poured over the imp's feelings, returning the missing calmness to his mind. Though once Demiurge was back to his normal self, he wished for a brief moment to return to his addled state where he wasn't conscious of his actions, before he was drowned in horror.

_What have I done?_

With his mind back to normal, Demiurge immediately deduced what had happened to him. While he had used the word 'intoxicating' to describe how fighting alongside his master made him feel, it had been used in the metaphorical sense. But witnessing his overwhelming power, so mighty and dark he could feel it in his bones and even _taste_ it, and being enveloped in that aura every being in Nazarik could feel... It made that word turn from metaphorical into literal.

Simply put, he had been drunk in his Master's power, drugged into a state where stating his feelings felt completely natural. Sensible. Because how could anyone witnessing Ainz-sama's fighting not express worship for him?

How could anyone not love him?

He had been dealing with the former since he found out Ainz-sama had been merciful enough to stay with them, and with the latter since... He honestly couldn't pinpoint the exact moment. He just kept quiet and tried to deal with them, because even though no Guardian would condemn him for having them, he still felt they would be... bothersome to Ainz-sama. And bothering him was the last thing Demiurge wanted, especially as he got to know his Master better during those talks that made both feelings bigger and more difficult to hide.

And now here they were. In the open.

But Ainz-sama proved his merciful nature for the millionth time by realizing what happened and saying "I acknowledge you weren't in your right mind, Demiurge. I am willing to ignore your words and pretend this didn't happen"

* * *

_Even though it will be difficult for me to do so..._

* * *

He should have agreed. Taken the out his Lord had so mercifully given him.

But now that they were finally out of his chest, Demiurge couldn't make himself deny them anymore.

He honestly didn't regret stating them. It was how he truly felt, and he never had a problem in stating the truth. What he regretted was not being able to deal with them better... to have inconvenienced his Master like that.

"Please Ainz-sama, I beg you to hear me out" He pleaded, his head bowing even deeper than before "I realize it's... wrong of me to harbour these feelings towards you, and I will end my life immediately on your order if that pleases you, but drugged or not, what I said... Was the truth. Please, forgive me"

Demiurge felt drops of sweat falling down his face, and he could physically feel his ruler's eyes on him, like flames licking at his soul.

* * *

_Forgive you? For being honest, and feeling what I never dared to hope you would?_

_Ahh, I feel like I'm going to do something embarrassing... But I can't seem to help myself..._

* * *

"Raise, Demiurge"

He devil obeyed, getting gracefully to his feet without raising his head. He was ready for whatever his Lord did to him.

He started slightly when he felt the hard, skeletal hand in his chin, but submitted to the push and let it guide his head up. His eyes met the burning lights of his Master's, and he was entranced. So much, that he didn't register Ainz's face getting closer until he felt the brush on his lips before the face retreated.

His body froze. His brain stopped. His Master observed him, as if Demiurge was an experiment he was eager to see the results of.

"...Demiurge? Are you okay?" Asked Ainz after a few minutes of silence.

* * *

_Damn that emotional suppression! Couldn't it have worked just a few seconds earlier?!_

* * *

This finally pulled a reaction from the shocked devil. His face turned red, his tail which had been still and lowered in submission first, and then raised and in parallel with his body, now started to move madly.

"A-Ainz-sama, d-did you just-?!" He sputtered, hand touching his lips.

"...I did. W-was that too weird?"

"NO!" He exclaimed, "No, absolutely not, it's just- wait, does that mean...?"

"Ahh, well... I guess that was a… 'me too'... I suppose..." Hearing those hesitant words made Demiurge snap out of his flustered state and focus on his Master. He had always been unable to read him, but right now... His averted eyes, his posture, everything was screaming 'bashfulness'. If he had flesh, he would surely be sporting a blush that matched his.

It was so unlike how his ruler usually portrayed himself. Ainz Ooal Gown projected an aura of regal majesty and self-assuredness, and an attitude that said 'everything dances in the palm of my hand'. Confident, wise and strong: _that_ was the Master Demiurge knew.

_Could it be that he's... allowing me to see him like this? To see a part of him he normally keeps hidden?_

Demiurge's eyes widened slightly at that revelation. He felt... humbled. Privileged.

_It is said that strength is the ability to have no weaknesses... But allowing your feelings to show in front of someone you trust, even if to any other they would make you seem 'weak'... That's the real strength._

_And he said 'me too'..._

This attitude of his was what made Demiurge fully believe that what had just happened had been real. And with the exception of the tender and joyful smile he couldn't get rid of, it finally let him regain his usual serene attitude (as showed by his tail when it finally stilled).

"Ahem. Well." Ainz cleared his throat and tried again "I need to return back to Nazarik and send someone to retrieve the prisoners. Oh, and to clean everything."

"I understand. You have many responsibilities after all" Demiurge said promptly, hiding a small stab of disappointment.

_I wish you could stay for just a little longer..._

"Do not think I will forget what happened here" Said his perceptive ruler "We will talk more about this when you return home, be sure of it" As if just realizing he still had his hand cupping the devil's chin, a bony thumb rubbed his cheek slightly before the hand retreated and Ainz took a step back.

Demiurge smiled. This was the second time Ainz-sama referred to Nazarik as 'home', which pleased him as much as the promise to talk did.

"Of course, Ainz-sama, I will look forward to it. Then, let me see you to the [Gate]-"

"Momonga"

Demiurge blinked and looked at the Undead King with confusion.

"Call me Momonga" Ainz clarified "When we are alone at least. Ainz Ooal Gown is the Sorcerer King and your superior. Momonga is just a man who... wants to see where this goes"

* * *

_And maybe this will help you separate Ainz Ooal own from just Momonga when I show you who I really am... Hopefully, this will help you to not feel too disappointed..._

_Hopefully, Suzuki Satoru will get to keep you, too._

* * *

And with that, the recently regained calm disappeared again.

"I- t-thank you M-Momonga-sama!" Demiurge stammered, the blush again on his face while his tail regained its previous uncontrollable movements.

"-sama, huh? Well, I guess that until you feel comfortable to just call me Momonga, without any honorifics, that will have to do."

_I'm allowed to do that?!_

A tree fell nearby, slashed by the wild movements of Demiurge's tail, but none of them paid it any heed.

"Th-then... M-Momonga-s-, no I mean, M-Momonga...?" He didn't know what he wanted to say, he just wanted to try and see how he felt being so familiar with the man he worshipped.

The result was that his tail became practically invisible, and a whole row of trees fell down.

"Please don't force yourself" Ainz chuckled "You have a lot of time to get used to it after all."

* * *

_Seriously, so cute...!_

* * *

The implication of him being like that with A- Momonga-sama for a long time made the tail reach supersonic levels. The number of trees around them was diminishing quickly; thankfully, they were quite a distance from Demiurge's base.

"I will be going then" Ainz decided, calling for a [Gate] "I am confident you will fulfill your mission with your usual speed and efficiency, and when everything's over we will have that talk. I will be waiting." With that, Ainz disappeared and the [Gate] vanished, leaving the devil alone.

With a supreme force of will, Demiurge took a deep breath and stilled his tail. He wanted to be done with his duties already, but his pride and his beloved Master's words wouldn't let him do a sloppy job.

"Then I will have to devise a method that is both quick and up to my usual standards" He decided, an aura like that of a man on a life-or-death mission surrounding him as he walked back to the base.

Only to freeze after taking a few steps.

"No, no, let's put that aside from now. There's a more dangerous and urgent problem to solve first." Cold sweat covered his temples as his genius mind worked at the speed of light while he continued his march at a slower pace. "Hiding it won't work." He muttered "She seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to things like this... Then what will be the best way to break the news? A way that won't get me or Momonga-sama attacked by a jealous succubus..."

Suddenly returning to Nazarik as fast as possible didn't seem so appealing.

* * *

After dispatching a group of Eight Edge assassins to take care of his and Demiurge's mess, Ainz told his servants he had a very important thing to do before closing his room's door and letting himself fall into the bed. His mind was buzzing with what had just happened, and the concerns that came with it: Demiurge's reaction when he met Suzuki Satoru, what he would say to Ulbert-san, Albedo...

He then forcefully shoved all of them aside.

_I can't submerge myself in what-ifs, it will just make me miserable. I will just face the difficulties as they come._

_Just this once, I will allow myself to be selfish._

And with that, he smiled and closed his eyes. He would allow himself a brief rest before returning to his duties, and the ever-increasing pile of paperwork in his desk.

It may have not started well, but this day turned out to be a truly wonderful one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that was the method I used. I felt that unless Demiurge was out of his mind, he wouldn't be able to say anything lol. And ofcourse, if he didn't talk first Ainz wouldn't say anything, because of the reasons stated both here and in the previous chapter.  
> I really hope you enjoyed it. I will start now to work on your prompts (yes, I didn't forget them!), so please stay tuned!

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to send me prompts to add to my series! No matter what they are, I promise to write them :)


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